ON CIVILITY Restorative Reflections: Where has all the civility gone? A collection of poetry that takes us on a treasure hunt to restore the concept of civility.

by John-Robert Curtin

This collection of poetry centers on my reflections of the concepts surrounding civility, and writing the poems has been restorative to me and to my understanding of this ancient concept. Beginning with the traditional notion of manners and politeness (George Washington, Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior , 1744), and continuing to the more subtle concepts of compassion, dignity, human value, human worth, forgiveness, and self-dignity, this collection is an attempt to understand and explain a concept that has varied over time and through different cultures. The concept is often connected with civilization and civil because they share the same root word, but civility is more active, more basic, and more personal. “ Being civil to one another is much more active and positive a good than mere politeness or courtesy ,” ( Robert B. Pippin, The Persistence of Subjectivity , 2005). In order to fully comprehend civility, one must reevaluate the status quo and build on the ancient principles of the interdependence of human beings (Dalai Lama, Beyond Religion, 2011). Civility is therefore interconnected with compassion, justice and humanity. An important research question when contemplating civility is, “When did human life become disposable, and can we reverse that belief?” As much as civility is typically associated with qualities such as politeness and the display of good manners, for contemporary social and political theorists it has increasingly come to represent civic virtues such as tolerance, non- discrimination and public reasonableness. Civility is therefore “more” than good manners (Melanie White, An Ambivalent Civility, Canadian Journal of Sociology , 2006) .

94 pages, Paperback

Published August 18, 2020

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 2 out of 5]

This collection fits strongly in the recent "motivational statements with extra line breaks" school of poetry, which to be fully transparent is not a style that really interests me. The topics the author writes on (civility, restorative justice, kindness, leadership) are all really important and all needed more in our society, but the delivery didn't strike me as poetic. You can see this juxtaposition of theme and form in the beginning of 'ON WORKPLACE INCIVILITY':

Demoralizing, demeaning, unnecessary and destructive
No wonder 74 percent of american workers report being
disengaged at work. Absenteeism, presenteeism,
low morale, high turnover, and anemic productivity.
27 percent of workers would be willing to
sell their company data systems logins and passwords.
And see at what price? One-third
would settle for as little as $100. Is this the casualty of
disengagement or the revenge of incivility?

Important topic, but they just didn't work for me as poems.

**Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[J. H. Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

"A paean to civility that couldn’t come at a better time.....Although civility may still have something to do with 'manners,' as the author sees it, the concept also encompasses 'compassion, dignity, human value, human worth, forgiveness, and self-dignity. Overall, the book is both an exploration and a celebration of these fundamental values." ~ Kirkus Reviews

"…. A beautifully crafted and insightful book which holds your attention and encourages reflection and introspection on the path through life and the people we meet along the way. Highly relevant in these times (COVID-19 and civil unrest worldwide) in developing a personal philosophy of actually and actively listening to bring about change...." ~ Dr. Paul Quantock, Chairman, The Foundation for Entrepreneurial Participation, Hull, E Riding of Yorkshire, UK

[Mandy Hazen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was a beautiful quick read. Body positive and world positive. Really eye opening to what is currently going on in the world and what we can perhaps do differently to chance the way those we think of ourselves. Highly encourage. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Lia Dospetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading this collection of poetry the other day in the afternoon (07.07.2023) and my mind is still reflecting over the good message(s) in each piece. While the are some views I disagree with (e.g. giving advice only when asked), I found each composition to be a wonderful mini-manual for being a good person. And after all, isn't civility all about that? It's kindness, understanding, compassion, justice, an open mind; the qualities of a good human being.

I won't spoiler any of the poems for you here because I don't want to ruin your reading experience. After all, poetry is meant to be savored verse by verse. I will limit myself to saying that the longest ones are not superior to the shortest and you will find at least one thought-provoking bit in each of them. My favorite, however, remains "On Saying 'Thank You'" for these simple words can mean so much when we mean them, indeed.

Writing-wise, I couldn't find any typos or weird formatting, which is quite rare in indie publications. Kudos to the author for a good job done!

5/5 stars and not one less.

- Lia Mara Dospetti